Class 5A preview: Wichita Heights awaits 'new opportunitites'

The Wichita Heights basketball teams have undergone some big changes this year, but you might have to wait until spring to fully see them.

Heights, a perennial 6A power has dropped to 5A this year, but its schedule in the regular season didn’t really change much. However, should Heights advance to the state tournament it will play in Topeka instead of Wichita’s Koch Arena.

“It’s going to be a lot different going to Topeka at the end of the year instead of staying in Wichita, hopefully,” said Heights girls coach Kip Pulliam.

The Heights girls finished runner-up at state in 6A last year, and a return trip is definitely possible as most of their players have played on a team that went to state during their careers.

“I have high expectations for the end of the year, but for early in the year we just want to get better each game,” Pulliam said. “And for right now, we’re just trying to get better each practice, and I think we’re doing that. We’re a long ways away from being a state champion right now, but at least we’re taking the right steps now.”

The Falcons return one senior in 5-foot-10 forward Kiersten Parks and six juniors, led by 5-8 forward Rae Rae Owens.

“Those two played some quality minutes last year, and they’re doing a lot of teaching,” Pulliam said. “And going from role players we need them to produce a little better.”

Sophomores Annalis Benally and Athena Alvarado also played varsity last year and are expected to take on larger roles this year.

“It may be a bit shaky at the beginning,” Pulliam said of his team. “But hopefully at the end of the year, they’ve settled into their new roles, and we can make a run at the end.”

For the Heights boys, coach Joe Auer is looking forward to the challenge of a new classification come postseason should his team make it that far.

“Hopefully, it’ll be new teams, new opportunities and new experiences,” he said. “We think we have a chance to have a very successful season.

Heights returns five lettermen from last year, including last year’s leading scorer Ealy Bell. The 6-3 senior forward averaged 14 points per game for last year’s 11-10 team.

“He’s our most experienced player in the City League and one of the more experienced players in the state of Kansas,” Auer said. “So he’ll be the face of our program this year, and he’s earned that right. He’s been a part of a lot of big wins in our program’s history. It’s kind of nice to have a player to bridge that really successful run that we were on from 2008 to 2012 to this new era that we’re in.

“Last year was an interesting year for us. We’re coming off a 62-game winning streak and four straight state titles. We graduated seven seniors, and we were able to have a winning season starting three sophomores and finish in the top half of our league. So we felt pretty good about last year. And with all these guys coming back, we are very excited about this season.”

HIGHLAND PARK (Centennial) moves back to the 5A ranks this season after going 24-1 and taking second in 4A last year. The Scots return seniors Jahmal McMurray and Shaffee Carr, who were both first-team All-4A picks a year ago. McMurray averaged 13.3 points en route to earning city player of the year honors while Carr averaged 13.2 points. The Scots also return a pair of other experienced players in 6-foot-7 senior Eddie Hunt and senior point guard Kameron Clark. “Great group of kids that will be fun to work with,” said Highland Park coach Ken Darting, who has coached the Scots to four 5A state titles. “We should be competitive with anyone we play.”

EISENHOWER (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail) posted a 19-2 record last season and returns senior guard Trevon Evans, who averaged 26 points and 4.5 rebounds a year ago. Seniors Matt Morris and Brennan Stemple averaged 12 and 11 points, respectively, last season, with Morris (6-6) also pulling down 9.5 rebounds a game. “Our strengths should be the number of players returning with experience,” Eisenhower coach Steve Blue said. “We return seven guys who have started for us at some point in their career.”

LANSING (Kaw Valley) posted a 22-2 record last season and advanced to the 5A championship game before dropping a 46-40 decision to SM South. Senior guard Joe Schneider averaged 13 points last season and was a first-team All-5A selection. Also back are returning senior starters Dontae Gibson and Khalil Bailey, who averaged 5.7 and 7.5 points last season. Senior Zac Jackson averaged 7.2 points off the bench. “We have guys who have a chance to have played in four straight state tournaments,” Lansing coach Rod Briggs said. “We lack experience in the post, but our guards are very experienced.”

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (Centennial) was just 9-12 last season but returns a wealth of experience and talent, including senior Jovan Barksdale, who was third-team All-5A and won the city scoring title last season with a 17.3-point scoring average. Jovan’s younger brother, Tony Barksdale Jr., received All-5A honorable mention and finished second in the city in scoring a year ago (16.5 points per game). Heights also added junior point guard Tez Scroggins, who transferred in from Olathe East after playing his freshman year at Highland Park. Sam Stroh takes over as the T-Birds’ coach.

WICHITA HEIGHTS (Greater Wichita Athletic) moves down from 6A, where the Falcons won four straight titles from 2009-2012. Heights was 11-10 last season and returns five players who have starting experience. Senior Ealy Bell (6-3) averaged 14 points last season and earned All-6A honorable mention recognition. Junior Semaj Harvey averaged 10 points last season, while 6-5 senior Jordan Wilbeck was the Falcons’ leading rebounder.

ANDOVER (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail) went 17-6 and lost 56-46 to Mill Valley in the first round of the 5A state tournament. The Trojans had nine underclassmen on last year’s state roster.

HAYS (Western Athletic) posted a 14-8 record last season, dropping a 59-42 decision to state runner-up Lansing in the first round of the state tournament. Hays returns a strong nucleus from that team, including 6-7 junior Brady Werth, who averaged 14.6 points and 10 rebounds last season.

SALINA CENTRAL (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail) posted a 14-7 record last season and will build around returning senior starters Treyton Hines (6-4) and Max Kuhn (6-0). Hines, a four-year starter, averaged 11.3 points and four rebounds last season while Kuhn averaged 8.5 points. The Mustangs have four other returning lettermen.

ST. JAMES ACADEMY, an independent, will build around senior returning starter Dylan McKee (6-2), who averaged eight points and four rebounds a year ago. St. James Academy went 13-8 last season, but will have to replace 70 percent of its scoring and 75 percent of its rebounding from last year’s team.

KAPAUN (Greater Wichita Athletic) went 17-8 and finished fourth in 5A last season. The Crusaders will have to replace seven seniors from that team.

GIRLS

No team in the state has experienced more state success than AQUINAS (Eastern Kansas), which not only has reached state 19 straight years, but has played in the title game 10 times since 2000. The Saints added their fourth state title in that span and second in three years, edging Mill Valley 23-22 in the title game to cap a 24-1 season. With all five starters returning, led by senior All-5A first-teamer Tia Weledji (13.5 ppg), there’s no reason to expect anything less than a similar run again this year.

After capturing the 5A state title in 2012, KAPAUN (Greater Wichita Athletic) came up short in its bid for a repeat, falling in the semifinals to Mill Valley and settling for a fourth-place showing. A strong inside-outside tandem in first-team All-5A junior guard Sam Bachrodt (14 ppg) and senior six-footer Sidney Kuhn (13 ppg, 14 rpg) give the Crusaders the firepower to make another title run.

Expectations were just a tad bit higher than the 14-7 record SALINA CENTRAL (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I) put together last year. They will be even greater this year as the Mustangs have everyone back, including Kansas State signee Shaelyn Martin (11.4 ppg) and Nebraska walk-on Emily Wood (11.2 ppg), both of whom have been starters since their freshman seasons.

It might take LEAVENWORTH (Sunflower) a little time to hit its full stride with junior standout LaTashia Jones (8.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg) sidelined with a stress fracture for the first month of the season. Then again, with the addition of standout freshman guard Terrion Moore to a lineup that already returns four starters including leading scorer Tyler Johnson (10.6 ppg), the Pioneers might be a force from the opening tip. Leavenworth nearly upset eventual state champion Aquinas in the first round of last year’s state tourney, falling 54-47 in double overtime.

The good news for ANDOVER (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail II) is the Trojans have qualified for the state tournament the past three years. The bad news is Andover is still seeking its first state-tourney win since a runner-up finish in 1996. The Trojans are young with just one senior, but junior Jaylyn Agnew (14 ppg, 6 rpg) was league MVP and second-team All-5A.

GREAT BEND (Western Athletic) got back to its winning ways last year, going 14-7 in Carrie Minton’s first year as coach. The Panthers could take another big step twoard their first state berth since 2009, returning every player from last year’s roster. There are eight seniors total, including first-team All-WAC pick Morgan Harwood

Division I signee Mariah Suchan (17 ppg, 11.6 rpg) is one of four returning starters for MAIZE SOUTH (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail II), which went just 11-10 last year after a 13-9 season in 2011-12. The key for the Mavericks will be finding a complement with no other returner averaging more than 5 ppg.

It was so close to being a dream season for MILL VALLEY (Kaw Valley), which came up two points short of claiming the program’s first state title in a 23-22 loss to Aquinas in the championship. Instead, the Jaguars merely had to settle for a 22-2 season that easily was the best in school history. No starters are back and veteran coach John McFall will look to top sub Carly Eaton to help the newcomers come along.

Saying NEWTON (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I) has a big hole to fill is an understatement. Graduation claimed 6-foot-3 All-5A first-teamer Abbie Lehman from a 20-5 team that finished third in 5A last year. Senior Hannah Carlgren (9 ppg, 7 rpg) will shoulder the load inside, but the Railers’ strength could be on the perimeter led by junior guard Taylor Stahly (7 ppg).

SALINA SOUTH (Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I) qualified for the state tournament last year, but graduated five seniors, including first-team All-5A pick Megan Holloway. Younger sister Emilee Holloway (5.4), a junior, gets her turn to lead the Cougars and has been a key player since her freshman season.